Bicycle Kick Tutorial: How to Score an Overhead Goal

The bicycle kick is football's most spectacular finish and can be safely learned with the right technique, progression, and training methodology. Here's how to master football's ultimate skill.

The overhead bicycle kick requires an athlete to launch themselves backward into the air, striking the ball above head height with their foot while their body is nearly horizontal. It combines gymnastic ability, football technique, and split-second timing. In the 2025-26 season, only 47 bicycle kicks were attempted across Europe's top five leagues, with just 4 resulting in goals—an 8.5% conversion rate that reflects both the difficulty and the reward.

Begin with your back to goal. As the ball arrives above shoulder height, plant your non-kicking foot and drive your kicking knee upward. As your kicking foot rises, lean backward and push off with your planted foot, launching into the air. Strike the ball at the highest point with your laces, aiming to connect at or above head height. Land on your upper back and shoulders, using your arms to cushion the impact—never land on your neck or head.

Gareth Bale's overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League Final against Liverpool is widely considered the greatest bicycle kick in modern football. Struck from outside the six-yard box, the ball traveled at 94 km/h and entered the goal at a height of 1.8 meters. The technique was flawless—full extension, clean contact, and a safe landing. Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick against Juventus in 2018 is a close second, notable for the standing ovation it received from opposing fans.

Even with perfect technique, bicycle kicks should be attempted sparingly in competitive matches. They are highest percentage when the ball arrives at the right height (between shoulder and head height), with your back to goal, and no opportunity to turn and shoot normally. In all other situations, a conventional finish is the higher-percentage option. But when the moment comes, there's nothing more spectacular in football.